What's up with relational change? Aristotle's Met. 10 and Physics 5.2

Lecture by Matthew Duncombe (Nottingham), organized by the Department of the History of Philosophy

In Phys. 5.2 and a parallel passage at Met. 9. 12, Aristotle argues that proper change takes place the categories of quality, quantity and place, while changes in the categories of substance, action/passion and relatives (ta pros ti) are merely ‘accidental’ (kata sumbebekos) changes. Commentators have not given an adequate account of either why Aristotle thinks that relational change is not proper change or why Aristotle thinks that such changes are merely accidental. In this paper, I set out to answer...(continue reading...)